LOS ANGELES — Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana and his wife confronted a home intruder who attempted to kidnap their 9-month-old grandchild over the weekend, law enforcement officials confirmed on Sunday.
According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Montana told deputies that his grandchild was sleeping in a playpen on Saturday when an unknown woman entered their home in Malibu and grabbed the child. Montana and his wife, Jennifer, confronted the woman, whom authorities later identified as Sodsai Dalzell, tried to “de-escalate the situation” and asked her to give back their grandchild.
After a tussle, Jennifer Montana pried the child out of Dalzell’s arms, law enforcement officials said.
“Thank you to everyone who has reached out,” the former San Francisco 49ers star tweeted. “Scary situation, but thankful that everybody is doing well. We appreciate respect for our privacy at this time.”
Thank you to everyone who has reached out. Scary situation, but thankful that everybody is doing well. We appreciate respect for our privacy at this time.
— Joseph Montana (@JoeMontana) September 27, 2020
The sheriff’s office says that Dalzell fled the home but was later arrested. She faces kidnapping and burglary charges.
It wasn’t immediately known whether Dalzell had a lawyer who could speak on her behalf.
The sheriff’s office declined to release any more information, citing that the case was still ongoing.
Montana, 64, who retired after the 1994 season, played 13 years of his 15 year-career with the 49ers, who won four Super Bowls with him as starting quarterback.
